Dr Barra O'Donnabhain, who holds a PhD degree in Anthropology from the University of Chicago, is a bioarchaeologist who has been conducting archaeological research in Ireland and other parts of the world for over 25 years. His publications cover a wide temporal span as well as a broad range of themes but are characterized by an integrative approach in their reconstructions of past lives. This is exemplified by recent papers dealing with the political use of the ritualized violence of executions (2011) and the use of bone chemistry to characterise diet and identity in Viking Age Dublin (2012). He has also challenged in print the traditional narrative of 'Celtic Ireland'. O'Donnabhain has directed and collaborated in archaeological projects in a number of world areas. His recent focus has been on the bioarchaeology of institutional confinement. From 2009 to 2011, he directed excavations at a putative leper hospital in south west Ireland and in 2012 he began excavations at the19th century prison at Spike Island, near Cork. Also in 2012, he directed the mortuary component of excavations at an Inca outpost in southern Peru in collaboration with researchers from UCLA and USC. He is on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles-based Institute for Field Research. He is co-editor of the 2014 volume, Archaeological Human Remains: Global Perspectives

'The social lives of severed heads: skull collection and display in medieval and early modern Ireland' O'Donnabhain, B; (2011) 'The social lives of severed heads: skull collection and display in medieval and early modern Ireland' In: The Bioarchaeology of the Human Head: decapitation, decoration and deformation. Gainesville: University Press of Florida. [Details]

'An appalling vista? The Celts and the Archaeology of later prehistoric Ireland' O'Donnabhain, B.; (2000) 'An appalling vista? The Celts and the Archaeology of later prehistoric Ireland' In: New Agendas in Irish Prehistory: papers in commemoration of Liz Anderson. [Details]

'Composition of the founding population of Iceland: biological distance and morphological variability in Early Historic Atlantic Europe' Hallgrímsson, BenediktÓ Donnabháin, BarraWalters, G. BragiCooper, David M.L.Guðbjartsson, DaníelStefánsson, Kári; (2004) 'Composition of the founding population of Iceland: biological distance and morphological variability in Early Historic Atlantic Europe'. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, 124 (3):257-274 [Details]

'The status of children in a sample of Bronze Age burials containing pygmy cups' O'Donnabhain, B. Brindley, A.L.; (1990) 'The status of children in a sample of Bronze Age burials containing pygmy cups'. Journal of Irish Archaeology, 5 (*):19-24 [Details]

'The human remains from Archaeological excavations of a series of enclosures at Millockstown, Co Louth' O'Donnabhain, Barra; (1985) 'The human remains from Archaeological excavations of a series of enclosures at Millockstown, Co Louth'. Proceedings of The Royal Irish Academy, 86C (*):171-179 [Details]

'The origins of the populations of Ireland: a survey of putative immigrations in Irish prehistory and history' Mallory, J.P. O'Donnabhain, Barra; (1998) 'The origins of the populations of Ireland: a survey of putative immigrations in Irish prehistory and history' Emania, 17 :47-81. [Details]

Report on the bone remains from sites on the Mitchelstown-Limerick and Bruff-Mallow gas pipelines. O'Donnabhain, B.; (1988) Report on the bone remains from sites on the Mitchelstown-Limerick and Bruff-Mallow gas pipelines. Articles [Details]

Goths and Celts: imagining the past in Iceland and Ireland. Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary. O'Donnabhain, B.; (2004) Goths and Celts: imagining the past in Iceland and Ireland. Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary. Guest Lectures [Details]

Ancient DNA and the Early Historic population of Ireland. O'Donnabhain, B.; (2001) Ancient DNA and the Early Historic population of Ireland. Guest Lectures [Details]

(2001)

Migration and biology: morphological variability and population change in Early Historic Ireland. O'Donnabhain, B.; (2001) Migration and biology: morphological variability and population change in Early Historic Ireland. Guest Lectures [Details]

Genetic diversity in the Early Historic population of Ireland. O'Donnabhain, B.; (2000) Genetic diversity in the Early Historic population of Ireland. Guest Lectures [Details]

(2000)

Poulnabrone and Poulawack: archaeology, biology and early farmers in the mid-west. O'Donnabhain, B.; (2000) Poulnabrone and Poulawack: archaeology, biology and early farmers in the mid-west. Guest Lectures [Details]

(1999)

A Tale of Two Island: biological distance and morphological variability in Iceland and Ireland in the Early Historic Period. O'Donnabhain, B. and Hallgrimsson, B.; (1999) A Tale of Two Island: biological distance and morphological variability in Iceland and Ireland in the Early Historic Period. Guest Lectures [Details]

Theories of mortuary practice and the emergence of formal disposal of the dead in the south-central Andes. MA, Department of Anthropology, the University of Chicago. O'Donnabhain, Barra; (1990) Theories of mortuary practice and the emergence of formal disposal of the dead in the south-central Andes. MA, Department of Anthropology, the University of Chicago. Thesis/Dissertation [Details]

The Day of the Dead: recent research in Human Osteoarchaeology, Barra O'Donnabhain (2014) Keynote address. [Plenary Lecture], The Day of the Dead: recent research in Human Osteoarchaeology, Queen's University Belfast , 17-OCT-14 - 19-OCT-14. [Details]

Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary, Barra Ó Donnabháin; (2004) Goths and Celts: imagining the past in Iceland and Ireland. [Invited Lectures (Conference)], Department of Archaeology, University of Calgary, University of Calgary , 13-FEB-04 - 13-FEB-04. [Details]

A Tale of Two Islands: Biological Distance and Morphological Variability in Iceland and Ireland in the Early Historic Period, Barra Ó Donnabháin; (1999) Research seminar at deCode Genetics. [Oral Presentation], A Tale of Two Islands: Biological Distance and Morphological Variability in Iceland and Ireland in the Early Historic Period, Reykjavík, Iceland , 05-JUL-99 - 05-JUL-99. [Details]

(1999)

Conference on New Agendas in Irish Prehistory, Barra Ó Donnabháin; (1999) An appalling vista: the Celts and the archaeology of Later Prehistoric Ireland. [Oral Presentation], Conference on New Agendas in Irish Prehistory, University College Cork , 28-FEB-99 - 28-FEB-99. [Details]

Department of History, University of Limerick, Barra Ó Donnabháin; (1996) Anthropological approaches to history and local studies. [Oral Presentation], Department of History, University of Limerick, University of Limerick , 23-OCT-96 - 23-OCT-96. [Details]

Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory,, Barra Ó Donnabháin; (1992) The removal of skulls from an Early Ceramic cemetery on the south coast of Peru. [Oral Presentation], Midwest Conference on Andean and Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory,, Urbana-Champaign , 01-MAR-92 - 01-MAR-92. [Details]